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Your life is never the same again after you catch a wave. It changes everything: your Karma, the way you manifest the rest of your future, your entire path. This has been the day everything started to change for you. You’ll see.
Weirdly, Lucas was right. First Ace and now this. Even though it feels sort of frivolous in this sophisticated setting, I do it anyway: I send a silent message to Lucas, wherever he is. Probably giving a surfing lesson in that same spot.
Thank you.
And by the time I reach the Invested Enterprises offices, dressed in my little black power dress, my black heels, my hair in a high ponytail, a simple gold chain around my neck and matching gold hoop earrings, I feel almost ready to face my day.
I stare up at the shiny embossed letters above the large office doors.
INVESTED ENTERPRISES
You can do this.
I square my shoulders and show my ID to the security guard, who waves me through.
The offices are sleek and modern, nothing like the crowded, stuck-in-the-50s offices that I was based in, back in Austin.
There are leather chairs, neon sign accents and a dark-wood reception desk, with a full-wall print of the Empire State Building behind it. The office is stylish and very New York, with a young, hip edge.
It’s not surprising that there would be a youthful energy to the place. Invested Enterprises is owned by three twenty-something brothers who are known not only for their business savvy but also for their good looks, as Emma loves to point out. She said they’re often listed on social media sites as the “most eligible bachelors in New York.”
I’ve never seen a picture of the brother who started the business, whose name is Cash Maddox. Rumors are he’s a workaholic.
The youngest of the three, Colton, often shows up on online. He serial dates New York heiresses, socialites and models. I follow a few of them on Instagram. I’ve seen the occasional picture of him at some party or event.
And I’ve met Noah, at my interview, the CFO and the oldest of the three. I read somewhere there’s a fourth brother who runs the family business, the oldest, whose name is Alexander. He’s in charge of the empire they inherited from their father.
“Dusty.” Penelope is walking down a hallway toward the front desk, a huge smile on her face. “Welcome to New York!”
“Hi, Penelope. Thank you so much.”
She gives me a brief hug. “How was your trip?”
“Very smooth.”
“And the apartment?”
“Absolutely amazing.”
“I live on the fifteenth floor,” she tells me. “We could meet on the rooftop for a drink after work sometime.” Penelope’s probably only a few years older than I am and as I look around the office I notice most of the staff are probably in their mid to late twenties.
“I’d love that.”
She shows me around the spacious office, which has the feel of a giant, airy, up-market Soho loft. “Here’s the main office space. Everything’s been designed to ensure that there’s a flow, but there are plenty of quiet workspaces too.”
The desks are grouped together into zones and there are plants and casual seating zones liberally dotted around. The break areas have glass-fronted fridges stocked with drinks and there are baskets on countertops overflowing with healthy-option snacks.
There’s a noticeboard on one wall with a schedule of “Need A Break?” sessions, listing massages, meditation, yoga, Pilates and Reiki.
“I know you had a brief tour during your interview, but I want to make sure you know exactly where everything is, now that you’re here full time,” Penelope says. “On the next floor up we have the gym, the spa and the restaurant. The gym is open 24/7, the spa from 9 to 5, and the fully-catered kitchen from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. The top floor is where the executive offices are located and the roof has the heated pool, the jacuzzi and the bar, which also has an after-hours restaurant. I’ll show you all those after you meet with Evan and get settled. Here’s your desk right here.”
My desk is in the middle of a row of three, facing a mirror image of the same layout. It’s empty except for a large Mac desktop computer, a MacBook and an Invested Enterprises mug full of pens.
“You’ve met Evan, your team leader. He sits over here,” she gestures to the desk directly opposite mine. “And these desks are the other people on your team. Lacey and Patel.”
Lacey and Patel are the only ones at their desks. Lacey is next to me and Patel is opposite her, next to Evan. Patel nods my way, barely glancing up from his screen.
“I’ll leave you to settle in,” says Penelope, handing me a post-it. “Here are your login details. I’ll be back in ten to take you up to meet the CEO. He likes to meet all new employees face-to-face as soon as they arrive. We’ll do the rest of the introductions after that.”
